The present invention relates generally to methods and apparatus for outputting bonuses and payouts to a player of a gaming device.
Gaming devices (e.g., reeled slot machines, video poker machines, video keno machines, video blackjack, and video bingo machines) generate more than $15 billion per year in revenue for casinos in the United States alone. This figure accounts for more than half of the gaming revenue for a typical United States casino. The situation is similar in other countries in which gaming devices are popular, such as Australia. Accordingly, casino operators are interested in increasing the enjoyment of playing a slot machine in order to maintain or increase this level of revenue.
Unfortunately, players of gaming devices sometimes become discouraged and discontinue playing. Such discouragement may be due to, for example, a player's failure to obtain any winning outcomes (i.e., outcomes that correspond to payouts) or to qualify for any bonuses during an extended period of time. The discontinuation of play due to discouragement results in a decrease in the profits of casinos and results in players that are not happy with their gaming experience. A casino could attempt to prevent such discouragement by having its gaming devices provide payouts and bonuses more often (e.g., by adjusting the probability of winning such payouts and bonuses). However, consistently providing more frequent payouts and bonuses would result in a decrease in the profit of the casino. Accordingly, casinos may be reluctant to increase the frequency of payouts and bonuses.
For the reasons discussed above, a need exists for a solution to the problem of player discouragement. The solution should be one that minimizes any decrease in profits to the casino and preferably results in an increase in profits of the casino as well as an increase in player's enjoyment of the gaming experience.